Barbara M. Hodges

Barbara M. Hodges is the author or co/author of twelve works of fiction. She lives in Nipomo, California, a small city on the central coast. Barbara shares her life with her husband Jeff and two rescued basset hounds Heidi and Monty.

Barbara is a member of Sisters In Crime and Public Safety Writers Association.

Hounded by Death

Barbara M. Hodges' newest release.

Dakota Lee was twelve years old when spirits began talking to her. Now, 18 years later, she has gotten used to their sometimes demanding ways. When Dakota finds first a dead man, then a basset hound at the county park, she isn't much suprised when the murdered detective, Rod Kane, asks for her help. That's what Dakota does, aids troubled spirits when she can. Detective Rod Kane needs two things from Dakota, first take care of his basset hound and second help him find his killer. The basset hound is no problem, she fell in love him when she first looked into his eyes, but find a murderer. She wasn't so sure about that.

Five Star Review from Jeanie Jackson.

"Kind of wow. Barbara Hodges creates a amazing balance between medium intensity suspense and sensitive topics in Hounded by Death. She also presents a really well done job for this trope. Dakota Lee can hear and speak to spirits. The spirit Dakota meets is a police detective who believes that he knows who is responsible for his murder. Dakota has to convince his partner that she is not a scam artist so the partners can still work together. The sex trade and sex trafficking are issues but while realities are mentioned, they are handled with enough distance to keep the book at the suspense rather than the side of the line. I very much appreciated that since the description of the book did not lead me to expect the horrors of either. Although Dakota is afraid to get directly involved in the investigation and neither man wants to endanger her, she has to be around so that the partners can communicate so she is drawn right into the dangers they face. I look forward to reading more books in what I hope is a series. I borrowed this book through the KU library."